In Spain alone, Strava, the sports app, has more than 2 million users who record all kinds of physical activity on it. And when we say everything, we mean even the most unexpected, such as childbirth. But beyond the anecdotal, this app (with 125 million global users) has so much information on the routes most chosen by cyclists, that Dozens of municipalities around the world (including several in Spain) use the information to create more efficient cycle paths and drastically reduce CO2 emissions. And now it is betting on artificial intelligence.
To better understand how this will affect both those who exercise on a daily basis and those who travel around the city in an eco-friendly way, We spoke with Rob Terrell, Chief Technology Officer, Strava.
“Strava has a huge amount of information and privacy is essential – Terrell explains to us in an exclusive conversation – that is why we have only shared it, anonymously as regards the users so that they can City councils and governments can use this information to understand car and bicycle traffic movements and create better alternatives.”
With this in mind they have released several updates. The first of these is AI-Enabled Ranking Integrity, which will use machine learning to automatically identify irregular, improbable or impossible activities recorded on the platform, such as the aforementioned birth. This option is trained with millions of user activities… current and future ones.
The amount of information that Strava generates (from heart rate, distance, speed, accumulated kilometers, progression, elevation, etc.) is very useful for athletes, but it could also be useful for future generations.What if minors could use Strava, anonymously?to show their progress and create a database for future talents?
“Tracking data of minors to Identifying future talents is a very good idea – Terrell agrees –. But it is difficult to manage due to privacy issues. It would be great because it would not only allow talent to be identified, but also show the progression of childhood and youth. A healthy way to compete, promote health and well-being and detect talents that would otherwise go unnoticed or take time to be identified.”
This is related to another of Strava’s recent innovations, the arrival of the Family Subscription Plan, which allows sharing a subscription with several people (family and friends) to facilitate commitment to exercise. In fact, a scientific study, published in Public Healthconcludes that sharing physical exercise with family members increases the consistency of this type of routine by a third.
This also includes one of the most requested features by users, Dark Mode, an option that allows you to continue viewing information on your device, but without causing eye fatigue and promoting security, since it will be more difficult to see us in the middle of the night. In this sense, another feature also arrives New security-related innovation: Night Heat MapsThis setting, which will be activated in the coming months, only shows activities between dusk and dawn and gives Strava users an idea of which roads, trails and routes are busiest at these times. A way to reduce crime and prevent violence in less-policed areas.
More interesting details. In Spain there are nearly one million people who suffer from some type of visual disability, according to official dataBut the proportion of athletes (amateurs or federated) among them is very low due to the lack of alternatives that facilitate their independence, among other reasons. “It is true,” Terrell confirms. “And it is something that happens all over the planet. In this section It is not impossible to include some measure to evaluate this in the future, it is one of Strava’s goals.”.
AI, in this area, can be a great ally, creating audio maps and connecting users with different needs and desires. But they have also begun to use AI in another area: Athlete Intelligence. For now, in beta format, Strava is introducing this feature that converts training data into an understandable summary in relation to achievements and future goals. Strava’s ability to connect with thousands of devices allows Evaluate, based on heart rates, distances, routines, speed and other parameters, what we are capable of achieving. And for how long do we maintain the training routine?
“I don’t think it was difficult to implement AI in our app,” Terrell concludes. “In fact, we found that users were eager for more information. The AI analyses the route, how much effort I put into it and my impressions. But I think we are just at the beginning and there is much more to do in this area. Competition is in human DNA and many Strava users are competitive, collecting medals and records, but for me personally, it is a challenge.” I think it is an application more linked to cooperation than to competition.”.
The potential of this application is enormous for managers. If it has already proven its usefulness in improving urban planning and reducing CO2 emissions in cities, having relevant information on the health status of the population can provide essential data for How health care is managed and what policies can stimulate physical and mental well-being.